a bit much »
More than is reasonable.
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a watched pot never boils »
A process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities.
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above and beyond »
More than is expected or required.
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actions speak louder than words »
It is more effective to act directly than to speak of action.
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all out »
The state of a side having no more men to bat, thus ending its innings.
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at that »
In addition to what has been said; furthermore; moreover.
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back-cloth star »
An actor who stands upstage, forcing the other actors to face him and turn their backs to the audience, in order to gain more attention to himself.
|
beer goggles »
The illusion that people are more attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption.
|
better an egg today than a hen tomorrow »
It is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.
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better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness »
In the face of bad times or hopelessness, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response than to complain about the situation.
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bigger fish to fry »
A much more pressing issue to attend to.
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bite off more than one can chew »
To try to do too much; to take on or attempt more than one is capable of doing.
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bottoming the house »
The process by where someone cleans their house 'from top to bottom'. It is a very thorough clean indeed, even more so than 'spring cleaning'.
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break down »
To give more detail.
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break in »
New function more naturally through use or wear.
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break the bank »
To win more money than is available to be paid.
|
bridge »
A device which connects two or more computer buses, typically in a transparent manner.
|
bridge »
A system which connects two or more local area networks at layer 2.
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bridge »
An unintended solder connection between two or more components or pins.
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bring out »
To make a shy person more confident.
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bucket of bolts »
A piece of machinery that is not worth more than its scrap value, often of old cars.
|
bump up »
To give a more prominent place to; to advance position in queue.
|
bury the lead »
To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.
|
bury the lede »
To begin a story with details of secondary importance to the reader while postponing more essential points or facts.
|
captain of industry »
A prominent business person who owns or is the highest-ranking executive of one or more major firms, especially one who has considerable wealth and influence.
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cheaper by the dozen »
Things are handled more efficiently as a group, rather than individually.
|
crack down »
To enforce more stringently or more thoroughly.
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crack down on »
To enforce laws or punish more vigilantly.
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creature feature »
A horror film in which one or more monsters plays a prominent role.
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day and age »
A time period of years or more.
|
desk jockey »
One who spends his or her time seated at a desk; especially one who is more concerned with procedure, paperwork, or administration than with its ultimate goal or practical consequence.
|
diamonds are a girl's best friend »
A statement that suggests, while love is a luxury, material wealth (particularly jewellery) is more valuable in the long run.
|
die »
Followed by from. General use, though somewhat more common in medical or scientific contexts.
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diplomatic flu »
An illness feigned by one or more government officials or other public figures as an excuse for an absence really based on political reasons.
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don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs »
Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.
|
draw out »
To make something last for more time than is necessary; prolong; extend.
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draw out »
To use means to entice or force to be more open or talkative.
|
drill down »
To examine information at another level or in greater detail; especially in a database, to navigate to a more detailed level or record.
|
enough is as good as a feast »
Just the right amount is as good as more than enough: there is no value in excess.
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enough is enough »
One should be satisfied, there should be no more
|
every which where »
A more emphatic version of everywhere.
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everything happens for a reason »
All events are purposeful.Everything happens for a reason, so there is no such thing as failure. Mary-Kate OlsenPeople like to say "everything happens for a reason." If you repeat that in your head long enough that starts to sound like "anything can happen with a razor." Laura KightlingerI believe that everything happens for a reason, but I think it's important to seek out that reason - that's how we learn. Drew Barrymore
|
f** this »
The phrase emphatically diminishes the activity or event referred to and expresses that the speaker will have no more to do with it.
|
face value »
No more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.
|
familiarity breeds contempt »
The more acquainted one becomes with a person, the more one knows about his or her shortcomings and, hence, the easier it is to dislike that person.1894, H. Rider Haggard, The People Of The Mist, ch. 25:This was the beginning of evil, for if no man is a hero to his valet de chambre, much less can he remain a god for long in the eyes of a curious woman. Here, as in other matters, familiarity breeds contempt.
|
fancypants »
Alternative spelling of fancy pants. The condition of being overly showy; concerned more about one's reputation than anything else.
|
feed a cold, starve a fever »
Eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.1887, J. H. Whelan, "The Treatment of Colds.", The Practitioner, vol. 38, pg. 180:"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, publ. Atheneum, New York, pg. 60:I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 015101079X, pg. 60:They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.
|
firm up »
To make muscles more toned through physical exercise.
|
firm up »
To make tentative plans more definite.
|
flog a dead horse »
To attempt to get more out of something that cannot give more.
|
flutter in the dovecote »
I further argued that the principal cause for the political deadlock that persisted for thirty years after the guns fell silent was Israeli intransigence rather than Arab intransigence. The appearance of the first wave of revisionist studies excited a great deal of interest and controversy in the media and more than a flutter in the academic dovecote. — Israel Confronts Its Past.
|
fold up »
To make or become more compact by folding.
|
forbidden fruit is the sweetest »
Forbidden things have more worthwhile short-term consequences.
|
fudge the issue »
Adopt a solution to a specific problem which does not address the larger, more general problem of which the specific problem is an instance.
|
get a grip »
To relax; to calm down; to stop being angry; to come to one's senses or become more rational.
|
give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime »
It is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something, than to do something for them.
|
go native »
To adopt the lifestyle or outlook of local inhabitants, especially when dwelling in a colonial region; to become less refined under the influence of a less cultured, more primitive, or simpler social environment.
|
go out with »
Often in hopes that the relationship will become more longterm as in definition 1.
|
greener pastures »
Any place or condition that is more favorable or beneficial.
|
grow on »
To become more likeable to someone.
|
halfway decent »
No more than adequate.
|
harden someone's heart »
To make someone more resistant to something.
|
have eyes bigger than one's belly »
To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.
|
have eyes bigger than one's stomach »
To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.
|
have other fish to fry »
To have more important things to do.
|
have the time of one's life »
To enjoy oneself more than ever before.
|
hindsight is 20/20 »
(idiomatic) In hindsight things are obvious that were not obvious from the outset; one is able to evaluate past choices more clearly than at the time of the choice.
|
hit the jackpot »
To realise a huge load of luck; to receive a more favorable outcome than imagined.
|
hot up »
To become more heated.
|
ignorance is bliss »
Lack of knowledge results in happinessSometime you are more comfortable if you dont know something.
|
in aid to this fact »
In addition to; and futhermore.
|
in the long run »
After a very long time; eventually; over a long period of time; more generally.
|
in unity there is strength »
More can be accomplished by a team with a common goal, than individuals.
|
it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings »
There are more developments yet to come.
|
it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God »
The rich can afford more immoral behavior than the poor.
|
jumped-up »
Describes a person who thinks he is superior in some way that the speaker disagrees with. For instance, of a higher class, or has more authority than they have in reality.
|
keep your shirt on »
An admonition to be more patient or to calm down.
|
knock up »
To exhaust; wear out; weary; beat; tire out; to fatigue until unable to do more.
|
less is more »
That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; simplicity is preferable to complexity; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.1855, Robert Browning, "Men and Women":Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.1954, "'Less Is More'," Time, 14 Jun.:The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."2007, Gia Kourlas, "Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness," New York Times, 3 Mar. (retrieved 22 Oct. 2008):The program, which features two premieres
|
lighten up »
To become less serious and more cheerful or casual; to relax.
|
little pitchers have big ears »
Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, Abbeychurch, ch. 2:Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."1939, "Bedtime Bedlam," Time, 17 Apr.:A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.2002, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ISBN 9780743455961, p. 185:I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).
|
long drink »
Any drink containing more than 5 ounces of liquid and less than 9 ounces. Typically, a long drink will have lots of ice and mixer.
|
make a meal of »
To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated.
|
matter of fact »
A more factual correction.
|
might makes right »
The stronger and more powerful rule others, control the situation or determine right and wrong.
|
moral high ground »
A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.
|
more cry than wool »
Asserted but not grounded in reality.
|
more equal »
Ostensibly equal, but in reality more privileged.
|
more haste, less speed »
When we are in a hurry, we often end up completing our task slower.
|
more like it »
Better, more desirable.
|
much of a muchness »
Of two or more things, having little difference of any significance between them.
|
mutton dressed as lamb »
A mature woman dressed in a style more suited to a young woman, especially if a deliberate attempt to appear young.
|
mutual admiration society »
A group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely express considerable esteem and support for one another, sometimes to the point of exaggeration or pretense.
|
narrow down »
Make more specific.
|
not in Kansas anymore »
No longer in quiet and comfortable surroundings; in the big city.
|
now you're cooking »
A phrase, often given in response, meaning that the subject has switched to a more suitable or more efficient approach.
|
of all people »
Especially; more than other people.
|
of an »
Indicates a more or less habitual activity during the given part of the day.
|
on board »
It's a good idea, but let's see if we can get a few more of the management team on board.
|
on one's high horse »
Self-righteous; proceeding on the belief one is more correct or proper than others.
|
on the mend »
Improving or undergoing restoration to a previous, more favorable condition.
|
one another »
Used of a reciprocal relationship among a group of more than two people or things; compare each other.
|
one can't hold two watermelons in one hand »
do not attempt to take on more than you can handle
|
one step forward, two steps back »
A situation in which progress is more than offset by adverse developments.
|
open a can of whoop ass »
A good-humored threat of physical harm.
|
orange up »
To make more orange.
|
orange up »
To make more prominent by making orange or adding orange colour.
|
orange up »
To become more orange.
|
out of one's league »
In a situation in which one is mismatched with one or more others, whose accomplishments, preparedness, or other characteristics are on a significantly higher or lower level than one's own.
|
over one's head »
More complex or confusing than one can understand; beyond one’s comprehension..
|
packing heat »
Carrying one or more firearms on one's person, especially in a concealed manner.
|
parade of horribles »
A rhetorical device employing a series of progressively more terrible results following from an act.
|
people person »
Someone who is happier or more skilled at dealing with people rather than things or concepts.
|
pep up »
To make stronger or more interesting.
|
play the field »
To date more than one person at the same time.
|
play up »
To make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight.
|
plump up »
To shake or arrange so as to be fatter or more evenly distributed.
|
plus »
(literally) The more it changes, the more it's the same thing (sometimes loosely translated as the more things change, the more they stay the same).Although the outward appearance may change, fundamentals are constant.
|
proverbs run in pairs »
Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.
|
pull the other one, it's got bells on »
The implication is that one leg has been pulled, and the joker will have more fun with the other one due to the bells.
|
push the boat out »
To do something, especially spend money, more extravagantly than usual, particularly for a celebration.
|
put aside »
To ignore or intentionally forget something, temporarily or permanently, so that more important things can have one's attention.
|
put hair on somebody's chest »
To make a person stronger or more masculine.
|
put one's money where one's mouth is »
More generally, to take an obvious stake in the truth of a claim that one is making.
|
put something into perspective »
To compare with something similar to give a clearer, more accurate idea.
|
queer one's pitch »
To make a task more difficult for the speaker.
|
rocking horse shit »
A metaphor for something exceedingly rare or, more likely, nonexistent.
|
round off »
To change the shape of an object to make it more circular.
|
round out »
To make more complete by adding details.
|
see the forest for the trees »
To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the bigger picture, or the broader, more general situation. Generally used in the negative.
|
set one's cap at »
. Or, more generally, to choose something as a goal.
|
sex up »
To make more palatable or acceptable to the general public; to improve the image or perception.
|
sex up »
To make more sexually attractive.
|
sexual congress »
Loose translation of the title of Aristophanes' play Ecclesiazousae, more literally translated as Assemblywomen.
|
sexual relation »
Behaviour of a sexual nature between one or more individuals.
|
slip into something a little more comfortable »
To wear something suitable to be stripped off by a lover.
|
small fry »
One or more children.
|
small fry »
One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
|
small fry »
One or more small or immature fish.
|
small potatoes »
One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
|
speak up »
To talk more loudly or plainly.
|
spice up »
To make more exotic, fun or extravagant.
|
stick in the mud »
More generally, one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive; an old fogey.
|
stop up »
To increase the aperture of a photographic lens, moving from an f/stop represented by a higher number to an f/stop represented by a lower number and causing more light to pass into the camera.
|
suck in »
To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.
|
suck into »
To cause someone to become slowly more and more involved in a business or situation that is often not to that person's liking.
|
sugarcoated »
Made superficially more attractive. This often implies the reality has faults that are being hidden.
|
swallow one's pride »
To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.
|
sweeten the pot »
To make something more desirable.
|
tag team »
Two or more people or groups acting alternately to accomplish some task.
|
take one's time »
To take more time to do something than is considered acceptable.
|
take over »
To become more successful than someone or something else.
|
take the Michael »
Alternative form of take the mickey, usually considered more polite.
|
talk someone's ear off »
To talk excessively or far more than is wanted or appreciated.
|
tart up »
To modify or repackage a product, service, or idea to make it more attractive or easier to sell.
|
that's that »
There is nothing more to say or to do concerning the matter.
|
that's the way life is »
That is the way things happenCertain things cannot be changed, helped or improved; struggle and objection are pointless.1935, Louis Bromfield, The Man Who Had Everything [1], page 279:That's the way life is, and there's no use trying to go against it.1979, Jay Edward Abrams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption [2], ISBN 0310511011, page 45:There are no standards, no values; that's the way life is. Learn to accept it and slide with it. Stop fighting it.2002, B. Eugene Ellison, Rings of the Templars, ISBN 059524050X, page 337:Shit happens; that's the way life is. In fact, I want you to take an additional thousand for your efforts.
|
the bigger they are, the harder they fall »
The larger something is, the more disastrous and spectacular its downfall
|
the die is cast »
The future is determined; there are no more options; events will proceed in an irreversible manner.
|
the grass is always greener on the other side »
Other circumstances seem more desirable than one's own but in reality are often not
|
the more the merrier »
It is more fun with more people.
|
the more things change, the more they stay the same »
A proverb making the observation that turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.
|
the pen is mightier than the sword »
More influence and power can be usurped by writing than by fighting.
|
the straw that broke the camel's back »
A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.
|
there are plenty more fish in the sea »
There are many more potential opportunities available.
|
there are plenty of fish in the sea »
There are many more potential opportunities available.
|
there but for the grace of God go I »
A recognition that others' misfortune could be one's own, if it weren't for the blessing/kindness/luck bestowed by fate or the Divine.Man's fate is in God's hands.More generally, our fate is not entirely in our own hands.
|
there's more than one way to skin a cat »
A problem generally has more than one solution.
|
third hand »
Not new, having more than one previous owner.
|
to boot »
Moreover, on top of that, besides, also.
|
to give a person line »
To allow a person more or less liberty until it is convenient to stop or check him/her, like a hooked fish that swims away with the line.
|
tone down »
To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.
|
top oneself »
To outdo oneself or do more than one's previous best.
|
treat them mean, keep them keen »
A woman will be more interested in a man if he is not kind to her.
|
trick out »
To trick out; to mod or customize an object, typically for the purpose of both personalization as well as enhancing the object's performance capabilities and more particularly for the purpose of performing stunts with that object.
|
tuits »
If I had more tuits.[1].
|
two heads are better than one »
Some problems may be solved more easily by two (or more) people working together than by one working alone.
|
up the ante »
To make something more desirable.
|
up the ying yang »
Far more than one needs.
|
up to »
As much as; no more than.
|
up-and-comer »
Someone who is up-and-coming, who has begun to be successful in some field and is likely to become even more successful in the future.
|
what is more »
Furthermore, or in addition, moreover.
|
when it rains, it pours »
If a person encounters bad luck, more bad luck will follow.
|
worth the risk »
The benefit of the success is more valuable than the problems caused by the potential loss.
|
wrap up »
To wear more clothes as protection from the weather; to bundle up.
|
you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar »
It's easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude than with rude demands and negativity.
|
you get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone »
It is advantageous not to rely solely on being nice.
|
you get what you pay for »
In commercial transactions, the quality of goods and services increases as the prices increase, i.e., the more one pays, the better the merchandise.2003, Michael Blumenthal, "For Whom the School Bell Tolls," Time, 7 Dec.:Though it may sound unapologetically capitalistic to say so
|
zoom in »
So as to make it larger and possibly more detailed.
|
zoom out »
To focus a zoom lens in order to obtain a smaller image, or a more distant view.
|
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